Search Works

Browse alphabetically through more than 9,000 words in Dickinson’s poetry, as defined in the Emily Dickinson Lexicon, based in part on her dictionary, Webster's 1844 American Dictionary of the English Language.

Publication HistoryPoems (1890), 54, from the fascicle (B); in the fifth printing (1891) the final two words formed a new line, without indentation, an arrangement repeated by CP (1924) and related collections. Letters (1894), 196-97, the Bowles letter without the poem but with a reference to Poems (1890); also Letters (1931), 185-87; also LL (1924), 219-20, without poem or reference. Poems (1955), 118-19 (A summarized, B,C principal, with the final four words as a single line); also CP (1960), 76 (C). Letters (1958), 378, with the final two words dropped to a new line and indented. MB (1981), 159 (B), in facsimile. (J162). Franklin Variorum 1998 (F219C). -History from Franklin Variorum 1998

About Work

Work Metadata

Year

1860

Manuscript

Manuscripts: There are three, two written about 1860. That
reproduced above (Bingham) is incorporated in a letter to Mrs.
Bowles, written in August 1861. The copy in packet 15 (H 80c) is
identical in text:
My River runs to Thee --
Blue Sea -- Wilt welcome me?
My River waits reply --
Oh Sea -- look graciously!
I'll fetch thee Brooks
From spotted nooks
Say Sea -- take me?
A second fair copy (Bingham 98-4B-11) is identical in text and
form with the first two stanzas in the packet copy; the last two
are variant:
I'll bring thee Brooks
From dappled nooks!
Say Sea -- take me?

Recipient

Samual Bowler and Mary Bowles

Publications

Publication: Poems (1890), 54, titled "The Outlet." The text
derives from the packet copy, but the italics are not reproduced.
In the first three impressions the line arrangement is exactly
followed. On 29 December 1890, Mrs. Todd wrote Col. Higginson
regarding corrections proposed for the fourth impression (AB,
90): "And on page 54, in the last line, I am sure she intended it
to be two lines instead, Say, sea/ Take me!" The alteration was
adopted and has since been retained. The poem was omitted from
the letter to Mrs. Bowles: Letters (ed. 1894), 196-197; (ed.
1931), 185 - 186; also LL (1924), 219-220.